#Zola ROME

Zola…he’s driving me to drink!

1. This book is so long (900 pages) 
2. I have to write a  2 part review.
3. Thoughts  about chapters 1-10
4. Read it and weep….

by Émile Zola

Finish date: 22 December 2022
Genre: novel  (900 pg)
Language: French
Rating: …not looking good
Review: Rome (ISBN: 9782072933752)

Good news: Thanks to Zola’s detailed research, readers of the 21st century are able today to “see” Rome through his eyes, according to his acute ability to observe. There are many paragraphs dedicated to monuments and works of art. For art lovers there are some great insights only Zola can write!

Good news: Write what you know! You cannot deny the “Rome” is partly inspired by Zola’s own experiences. Émile Zola went to Rome in the autumn of 1894 to reflect on the role of religion in modern society in the late 19th C. He stayed for several weeks without being able to have an audience with the pontiff Leo XIII. Zola wanted to understand why his book Lourdes published July 1894 had been condemned to the Index. This is exactly what our main character Fr. Pierre Froment is doing in this book!

Bad news: The book is too long! (900 pages). Zola interjects long-winded anecdotes about minor figures: Boccanera’s daughters (20 pg), Santobono (7 pg), Orlando (10 pg) and daydreams about cardinals of the past (3 pg). I’ve learned to discover the words: “Il évoqua cette historic de….” or Il tomba dans une rêverie…” (recalls the story of… daydreams ) and I just skip the pages. Must concentrate on Fr. Pierre and try to finish this epic before Christmas!

Personal: Having read all of Zola’s 20 novels in Rougon-Macquart series…I had to look for another series. I stared the 3 Cities trilogy with Lourdes a few years ago…meeting F. Pierre Froment who lost his faith and tried to find in again in Lourdes. Now Fr. Pierre is in Rome 2 years later. This is quite a epic novel….but I’m used to Zola’s style and know when and when not to “skim”.
To be honest, Lourdes was the better book…but not by much!  “Rome” is intertwined with amorous intrigues, full of passion and pathos, between Dario and Benedetta, describing at the same time the habits and customs of a changing society. But unfortunately this society did not interest me that much.

Notes: CH 1
Whew…chapter 1 is as long as a novella!
Hope to finish this 900 pages paperback in FRENCH …before Xmas.
Fingers crossed.
My summary in 3 short thoughts
Description of Rome – rant about Catholic Church and Pope – Fr. Pierre Froment is summoned to Rome to defend his new book in front of Pope Leo XIII. (Zola needed pg 47-92…just to say that!)

Notes: CH 2
Fr. Pierre is a guest in Palazzo Boccanera during his visit to Rome.
The chapter is 50 pages and you can skip 40 of them! Fr. Pierre is mentioned in the first and last 5 pages of the chapter. Skip the rest! Zola gets sidetracked in a a soap opera about “the family Boccanera’s” marriageable daughters.

Notes: CH 3
The reason this book is so long…Zola takes us on a walking tour of every room he enters. FR. Pierre meets cardinal Boccanera and he won’t even read Pierre’s book. ‘En colère’…the priest demands to see the manager! Now Fr. P. has to find a way to get an audience with Pope Leo XIII. Good luck!

Notes: CH 4
The book is so boring….but I continue to “skim”.
Fr. Pierre visits old friend Count Prada sr. and we have to suffer through another “historie” revealing his backstory. Love triangles…always fun: Benedetta is married to Count Prada jr. but she loves another…. Dario. As always Zola ends the chapter with a panoramic description of a part of Rome: Dôme St. Pierre…at sunset

Notes: CH 5
This chapter is a guide book of Rome and especially describing everything in Basilique Saint-Pierre. Zola’s conclusion: the Popes are the new Caesars…..protecting the spiritural but never renouncing the temporal…in which case is…”the good life”!

Notes: CH 6
I have to push myself to read a chapter a day. Another walking tour of Sistine Chapel, discussions about Botticelli, Bernini and Michel-Ange and walk in the Papal gardens. Best 10 pages (326-336)…Fr. Pierre listens to Benedetta pour her heart out about her lover Dario. Zola is good when it comes to the human side…that is great writing.

Notes: CH 8
Zola believed that ugly social problems could not be solved as long as they remained hidden. Fr. Pierre takes some rich friend on a tour of the poor part of Rome. We learn Pope Leo XIII was a gambling man with church’s $$ and end the chapter (pg 436-443) with Fr. Pierre daydreaming what the Pope sees from his Papal apartment window. Skimmed these last few pages…a lot of blah, blah.

Notes: CH 9
With the exception of 2 hours listening to the last January 6th hearing on TV…it took me 2 days of reading and 1 sniffer glass of Irish Whiskey to get me through 60 pg of Zola. Divorce proceedings continue for Benedetta, Fr. Pierre takes us on walking tours of Transtévère, Roman gardens, palaces, fountains and Tiber River. I read all this just to improve my vocabulary…b/c the narrative is beyond boring.

Notes: CH 10
This is best chapter so far with intrigues and explanations why Fr. Pierre’s book is being attacked! It took me 10 days to finally reach a point when I read every word. Fr. Pierre is being punished for this honesty! The Church wants to control what their congregation knows! Note to the wise…don’t mess with the Jesuits in Rome!

Notes: 10 (chapter is so long…an additional comment needed
Trivia: 60% of the Dutch 15 yrs and older are not religious. Compare that with USA…only 18% have no church affiliation. Zola is bashing the Catholic Church and especially the Jesuits… on almost every page. Loved his description of the church: an iron network under a soft velveted hand. (…reseau de fer sous le velours de main douce… pg 539).

Notes: CH 11
Buzz on the street: Pope Leo XIII not feeling well. This triggers discussion about Papal politics, possible successor of the papacy and history of strange poisonings in Italy!! This is all mixed in with a long carriage ride with Count Prada jr, Fr. Pierre and ‘shady” abbé Santobono. Skimmed pages about a chicken and a basket of figs…just another one of Zola’s useless anecdotes.

Notes: CH 12
Well, if you want to read the abridged version of this book go straight to pg 663. Fr. Pierre finally hears he will be granted an audience with Pope XIII. There’s a bit of intrigue building concerning that infamous basket of figs! This chapter was all about a very swanky engagement party for Atillo and Cecila. Oh, BTW…marriage b/t Count Prada jr and Benedetta is finally annulled….it took only 616 pages, a lot of tears and “…woe is me” scenes!

Notes: CH 14
This chapter was a challenge…it felt endless (intarisable, insondable). It is divided into 3 parts: Fr. Pierre’s arrival at the Papal meeting (descriptions of marble columns, stairs, hallways, lights, rooms, furniture etc.) The climax of the book…the discussion (rants) with Pope Leo XIII about Fr. P’s book. Then it is in reverse…exiting the rooms, hallways, stairs etc.

Notes: CH 15
After death of the tragic lovers (Benedetta/Dario) we read 20 pages about …the procession of grief. Everybody comes to the funeral. Fr. Pierre is told his book was “dead in the water” b/c his “Religion nouvelle” was going to replace the old religion. Top brass in the Vatican said that wasn’t going to happen! More rants about Papal politics (who is next Pope?) …and more Jesuits bashing. Last chapter tomorrow!

Notes: CH 16
Zola ends his book with a few more rants about Rome a city in decline, about the Catholic Church that should show less charity and more justice to all people (share Church’s riches with the poor…). Fr. Pierre takes us on a tour of city as he rides in fiacre to the train station. His book was banned….but he is already starting his next book in his mind! I took me 18 days to read the book…having missed 2 days at Xmas ….just took a rest and watched some movies.I Just ordered the last book “Paris” in this trilogy!